BMW530

Anyone know what the Headlamp washer interval period is. It appears everytime my lights are on and I activate the windscreen washers, the headlamp washers are activated as well. I thought they activate at set intervals when lights are on and when using the windscreen washers. Its like the memory of when they were last used disppears. A bit like not remembering the CD track on the normal CD player.

Anyone experience this? I guess its another software issue again. <_<

Iceman

The headlamp washers are allways on when your lights are switched on and you use the windshield washers. They stop after a couple seconds while the windshield washer is still active.
When you use the windshield washer several times, the headlamp washer will go on every time. So it might be better to use the windshield washer just once and spray a lot of water on the windshield, if this is bothering you in some way.
But it is not a software problem, this is how BMW wants it to work.

Rudy

Are you sure about that Iceman?

I thought there was additonal logic that only washed the headlights every "x" times while the lights were on.

The manual says "When the vehicle lighting system is switched on, the headlamps are also cleaned at regular and appropriate intervals."

Iceman

hhmmm... in that case I have to RTFM AGAIN, and have to check my car, because I am pretty sure mine has no intervall on it. So - in that case I do have the same problem...

I'll check it later...

Rudy

I don't necessarily think it's a "problem." My E39 worked that way too. You really don't need to blast the lights every time you wash the windows. I think there's more to the logic than just "every X times." I think it takes into consideration the time between washes as well (hence BMW's "appropriate" language in the manual).

The only difference with the E60 is that it is missing the "intensive" wash.

The intensive wash was a nice feature. You basically had two washer resevoirs. One for the normal and one (smaller) for the intensive. The intensive was heated and designed to be used only occasionally. You could also put a stronger solution in there if you wanted.

On the wiper stalk, if you pulled it toward you, you got the normal wash from the main resevoir. It would wash the headlamps every so many times and only if the lights were on. The intensive wash was a button at the end of the stalk (where the rain sensor button is on the E60) where if you pressed it, you got a long blast of fluid out of the intensive resevoir and, if I remember correctly, it always washed the lights (if illuminated).

NickP

Does the left and right wash at the same time (meaning do you lose lighting during the wash?)

On my E46 330 with Xenons, each time I did the spray it looked like the Xenon's had de-focued slightly during the spray...

Rudy

It's a very quick spray that really doesn't affect much. I've never had an issue where it affected visibility.

Iceman

Yep. Right. But the spray is noticeable.

BMW530

Yep the spray is noticeable as the light deminishes for a second or two.

As Rudy said the time between washes is a possible reason for the appropriate interval.

Iceman

My wife allways thinks it's a defect